Nagpur: Ridiculing critics for doubting his patriotism, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee tonight (Apr 17, 2004) said the issue about his seeking pardon during the Quit India Movement was raked up by the opponents before elections.

Addressing a huge election meeting at the Kasturchand Park ground, Vajpayee said it was unfortunate that he was called a "traitor" when he was contesting the elections.

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Disapproving personal attacks during the election campaign, the Prime Minister said he was pained to face such a charge.

"If we start calling all the people traitors then nobody will be left in the politics," Vajpayee said recalling his youth days, when he along with his brother were sent out to Gwalior by his father, a teacher by profession and were subsequently detained by the police for torching forest. But later police found them innocent and released both in 1942.

"But our Opposition," Vajpayee said without mentioning the Congress, "has raked up the charges again."

Seeking vote for his party, Vajpayee, who earlier addressed another public meeting at neighbouring district of Bhandara, said sometime it becomes difficult to run a 22-party coalition and expressed concern that he will have to head the coalition again when it returns to power.

Attacking the Opposition for their style of functioning, Vajpayee called on the parties to be a responsive Opposition and play a positive role.

"We never underestimated the achievements of Government when we were in Opposition," he said.

Admitting that he did admire openly Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for liberating Bangladesh, the Prime Minister however said he was wrongly quoted by media for having called her as 'Durga', which he had never said.

Vajpayee said he liked some of the policies of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru too and added, "I am often accused of being a Nehruvian."

The Prime Minister pooh-poohed charges of working under US pressure, saying, "We conducted the nuclear tests at the first given opportunity" and it was the Congress regime which succumbed to foreign pressure.

On his peace initiative with Pakistan, Vajpayee said talks will continue till a solution has been arrived at.

This does not mean we are relaxing our preparedness, he emphatically said.

Vehemently denying Congress charges that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government had failed on all fronts, Vajpayee, quoting Planning Commission figures, said the BJP-led Government had created 88 lakh employment opportunities for the youths.

The Prime Minister however admitted that he had fell short of one crore.